Fair appointment
Fair Appointments Ordinance The Fair Appointment Ordinance of November 2005 insists that the City make information about the many authorities, boards and commissions that govern its departments available online, and moreover make appointment procedures for those boards transparent & consistent. The mayor-elect must understand that the dealings of the city's boards and commissions generate important public information. The public has a constructive role to play in ensuring that council and the mayor have the best-qualified applicants to serve on the city's boards. FAIR APPOINTMENTS ORDINANCE TEXT: WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh will benefit from a fair and open appointment process which will ensure that the diversity of City residents is reflected on boards and committees advising City officials and staff; and WHEREAS, the residents of the City of Pittsburgh are better served when all appointed boards represent the diversity of City residents and are balanced by gender, race, age, disability, and sexual orientation; and WHEREAS, Pittsburgh contains a wealth of talent and energy in its communities that can best be utilized when the citizenry feels represented and included in the policy-making process; and WHEREAS, broad-based participation will also provide role models from various social, economic, and cultural segments of the community and provide an entry point for future leaders to engage in civic activities and the political process. NOW THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby amends the City Code by adding, Title I, Article IX, Chapter 180 FAIR REPRESENTATION IN APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, AUTHORITIES, AND COMMISSIONS An Ordinance A. Intent: It is the intent of the Council to: 1) Establish standard procedures for appointing members to City related boards, authorities, and commissions to encourage fair representation that is reflective of the diversity of City residents. 2) Create a means that is readily available to the public, primarily on the City’s website, to centrally house and disseminate all public information regarding City related authorities, boards, and commissions. 3) Provide for a comprehensive listing of all City related boards, authorities, and commissions, listing: :a. All governing documents including, but not limited to, enabling legislation, charters, and/or bylaws for said organization. :b. The name of persons appointed to said organizations, business address, effective date of appointment, and expiration of said term. 4) Create a means to solicit and maintain a list of citizens who express an interest in public service by making themselves available for consideration for appointment to such boards, authorities, and commissions. B. Public Listing of All City Related Boards, Authorities, and Commissions 1) The Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh will develop and maintain a listing of all City related boards, authorities, and commissions, which will include: :a. Governing documents, including, but not limited to, enabling legislation, governing charter, and/or bylaws for said organizations. :b. A listing of the name of persons serving on each board, authority, and commission, business address, effective date of appointment and date of the expiration of the term of the appointment. :c. A list of who makes the appointment for each seat on each board, authority, and commission. :d. Any residency requirements for each seat on each board, authority, and commission. :e. Whether there is any compensation and/or reimbursement for each seat on each board, authority, and commission. :f. A calendar of scheduled meetings and/or any scheduled special meetings of said organizations, noting the time and place of said meetings. This information should be made available by request at the Mayor’s Office. 2) The Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh will develop and maintain a database of the age, sex, zip code, and optional demographic information, including race, sexual orientation, and disability, of: :a. Each individual that submits an application for a City board, authority, or commission and :b. Each appointee to all City boards, authorities, and commissions. This information shall be tabulated in the aggregate for each board, authority, and commission, and made public via a report to City Council on an annual basis. C. Public Access to Information 1) The Department of City Information Systems will develop and maintain a “Boards, Authorities, and Commissions” page on the City website, with information on all City related boards, authorities, and commissions. The website should include: :a. A comprehensive alphabetical list of all City boards, authorities, and commissions with links to individual pages for each board, authority, and commission. :b. A link to this policy. :c. All current vacancies and positions that are scheduled to become vacant in the next sixty (60) days on any board, authority, or commission. :d. A link to an online and downloadable application. 2) The Department of City Information Systems will develop and maintain individual webpages for each City board, authority, and commission with information about each board, authority, and commission. Each website should include: :a. Governing documents, including, but not limited to, enabling legislation, governing charter, and/or bylaws for said organizations. :b. A listing of the name of persons serving on each board, authority, and commission, effective date of appointment and date of the expiration of the term of the appointment. :c. A list of who makes the appointment for each seat on each board, authority, and commission. :d. A calendar of scheduled meetings and/or any scheduled special meetings of said organizations, noting the time and place of said meetings. D. Applications 1) The Office of the Mayor, assisted by other departments as necessary, will develop a single standardized application form to be submitted by all applicants for any board, authority, or commission for which an applicant seeks consideration. The information provided by the applicant will be used to track efforts to receive committee balance. The City will keep all applications on file for at least one year. 2) The Office of the Mayor, assisted by other departments as necessary, will make applications available to all interested citizens by creating an online application form, by posting a printable application on the City webpage, and by making an application available upon request at the Mayor’s Office. E. Appointments 1) The Mayor and City Council should consult the database for all applicants who have expressed interest in serving on a board, authority, or commission. 2) City Council should not renew the appointment of any nominee who has already served two consecutive terms on any board, authority, or commission and should not serve on more than two boards, authorities, or commissions at a time. :a. Any ex-officio membership requirements of a board, authority, or commission are exempted from this clause. 3) City Council will only consider nominees for a board, authority, or commission after consulting applicant database. F. Renewal All aforementioned information relating to City boards, authorities, and commissions will be updated on an annual basis. G. Severability If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void, or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, which shall be in full force and effect. H. Conflicting Provisions Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of the Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Ordinance. This bill will take effect January 1, 2006. Co-Sponsored by Council Members Twanda Carlisle, William Peduto, Gene Ricciardi, Doug Shields, and Sala Udin category: democracy